The present invention relates to a differential limiting mechanism of a differential apparatus used in a vehicle.
For example, the differential limiting mechanism of a conventional differential apparatus is described in Japanese published (KOKOKU) Patent No. 39-29513.
This differential limiting mechanism includes a cone clutch. The cone clutch is constructed by a pair of female side cone portions and male side cone portions corresponding to the female side cone portions. Each of the female side cone portions is a tapered face formed in the shape of a truncated cone in an inner wall of a differential casing. Each of the male side cone portions is a tapered face formed in an outer circumference of a clutch body arranged behind a side gear and rotated integrally with the side gear. Taper angles of the female and male side cone portions are in conformity with each other, and the female and male side cone portions come in face contact with each other.
The cone clutch is pressed by biasing force of a spring mechanism at any time and is pressed by thrust applied to each side gear at an operating time of the differential apparatus. When a difference in driving resistance is caused between left-hand and right-hand output shafts, a difference in rotation is caused between the female and male side cone portions. Therefore, sliding friction is generated in the cone clutch so that a differential rotation of both the output shafts is limited by this frictional force.